By: Laura Romero, Fulfillment Fund Student and Series Guest Blogger
My first midterm season was restless. I’ve never experienced or seen this type of universal stress with
the peers around me. I only had one typical midterm for my American Politics course, and the exam was fine, but being in a room of about 300 students who were taking the same exam as I was nerve-wracking. I could feel the tension, and it was such an eerie feeling.
Luckily, for the rest of my classes I was able to turn in essays, and I prefer that than to in-class exams. I don’t think students can produce quality work in a one-hour crunch time, compared to having an entire week to write and revise the essay. And I have to say, I don’t know how I feel about the university’s support during our midterm season. I personally felt like I was doing everything alone, with the only support being from my friends.
One thing that I’ve been noticing about the differences between high school and college is that if you need help or support, you have to get up and ask for it. In high school, I was so used to my teachers offering their help and support, without having to ever ask for it, but in college, if you don’t ask for it, no one will offer any help because they believe you’re doing well, since you’re not saying otherwise. I’m still learning how to ask for help here.
I recently met with my Fulfillment Fund advisor. We talked about how I’ve been feeling with these big college/adult adjustments, and it felt easier to talk about this with someone
. Fulfillment Fund has been very active in always emailing me about useful, beneficial workshops and it helps to know that even if I am on the other side of the country right now, this program still cares about me and is not forgetting about me.
I think it’s safe to say I’ve made it halfway through the semester, which is unreal to even think about because it’s only been about four months, and it feels like I’ve been here for years. New York still doesn’t feel like home, but my friends are starting to become much more of a family to me, and it’s a beautiful feeling to have these people in my circle.